Securing the Rights and Livelihoods of Rural Women in Africa in the Context of the Food Crisis and Climate Change
In Africa, a great majority of the population lives in rural areas and is fully dependent on land and other natural resources for its livelihood: e.g. Niger (83%); Rwanda and Malawi (81%). Women make a great proportion of rural populations due to male migration (UN Statistical Division Database).
In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), 31 % of rural households are headed by women, compared to 17% in Latin America and the Caribbean and 14% in Asia (UN Statistical Division Database).Issues facing rural women go beyond agricultural production to encompass a broad range of human, social, political and economic rights. UNWOMEN will strategically partner with sister UN organizations, regional organizations, rural women’s networks and development partners for coordinated and transformative action to meaningfully improve rural women’s condition and status.
In Africa, a great majority of the population lives in rural areas and is fully dependent on land and other natural resources for its livelihood: e.g. Niger (83%); Rwanda and Malawi (81%). Women make a great proportion of rural populations due to male migration (UN Statistical Division Database).
In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), 31 % of rural households are headed by women, compared to 17% in Latin America and the Caribbean and 14% in Asia (UN Statistical Division Database).Issues facing rural women go beyond agricultural production to encompass a broad range of human, social, political and economic rights. UNWOMEN will strategically partner with sister UN organizations, regional organizations, rural women’s networks and development partners for coordinated and transformative action to meaningfully improve rural women’s condition and status.
